A Turn of Events (Malik)

“Buzzzz…Buzzzz…Buzzzz…”

“Sunny! You’re phone’s about to jump off the table!” shouts Amy, a hunched-over technician clad in all black.

Whipping around from the centrifuge, Solis rolls her chair over the to processing table just as the phone falls from its ledge. Shit! "Uh, um, hello?”

“Eight pm. The bar on 22nd street. You’ll be meeting with a man with cropped black hair and goatee. He’ll find you. You know what to do.” CLICK.

Her hazel eyes stared at the phone flashing another unknown number. Work tonight.

“Hey, who was that?”

“Just my pharmacy telling me, uh, that my refills are ready.” Solis slid her chair back over the the centrifuge, focusing her concentration on her task, and also the call. It had been three weeks since the last assignment from Mr. Cho, and 2 weeks before then. It wasn’t that they didn’t pay well; rather, the amount provided for a job that really took all of a half an hour to do, was far beyond what she ever would have accepted; but that was not what was bothering her. The last time, when she tried to press for more information than what Mr. Cho provided, she was met with a taciturn scowl and a cold comment on how never to ask more of him. No repercussions, just a gaze that could have killed a nun.

Fishing the tube out of the machine, she labeled, filed, sampled, and examined the blood under her microscope. Still no change in the magic bond…

Stripping off the thigh-length lab coat off and into the back of her chair, she slid her feet out of the pink Crocs and into patent blue heels, a nice matching combination to her brown pencil skirt, white blouse, and cobalt blue belt. She waited til Amy left before opening up the locker she used in the office. Sure as summer rain, a manila envelop sat nestled into the top shelf, a note taped to its cover.

S-
Must be completed by April 15th. No confirmation needed. Secure perimeter. No assistance.
-C

The manila envelop went straight into her brown leather purse, and with a slap she closed the top, shut the locker, and left into the falling dusk of the day. The bar was only 7 blocks down, and with the weather unseasonably warm, she didn’t mind walking. The wind tousled her copper and brown hair, flicking in front of her face. It was days like this she most enjoyed; days that helped her to forget the stress in her life. Solis had been a messenger for just about two years, and though the job was by far the most unorthodox of jobs, she felt a small pang of happiness that she was doing her part to help those undercover police officers to whom she delivered the manila envelopes to. Mr. Cho let her know that he was actually a sub-division of the local police station, and was placed in charge as a liaison to those cops undercover, looking for their assignments but not looking to get caught. From time to time he employed messengers, and evidently Solis’ squeaky-clean criminal record has proven her to be a strong fit. The pay was wonderful, if unscheduled, but she didn’t do it for the pay, but rather for the thrill of holding secrets unknown.

The door to the bar was splintered wood and glass, but beyond Solis could make out the dim red light of the bar and a few patrons sipping into their drinks. She took her place at the far end of the bar and tucked the stray hairs out of her face before flagging over the scruffy bartender. One Goose and tonic later, she swiftly popped the edge of the manila folder up and out of her purse, Mr. Cho's signature black swan just visible. Anyone who was in the know would recognize the mark, and with any luck, she'd be on her way home by 9. Chewing on the straw, she pulled out her phone, and waited.

The world was a hard place and one had to make a living in it as best he could. For a former soldier that wasn't a very easy task. Peace time were always difficult on those who were taught to fight and survive because it was all that mattered. He chose not to be tied to any of the corporations, especially Omni because they were responsible for his 'upbringing'. It was always something he resented. They gave him structure, discipline, education, and purpose, but they never gave him a choice. It was fine when that was all he knew, but seeing others who were in control of their own destinies quickly opened his eyes. Now that the war was over he refused to be a 'kept' beast. He walked his own path, claimed his own territory, and made his own choices. He was a mercenary.

Malik and his Pride made a living by virtue of their skills, taking jobs for pay. Most of the time they worked as a group, but sometimes they took independent jobs. Even though on their own, they were never alone, because it was a family. This was one of those solo jobs. Carter, the bartender who sent a text as he watched Solis walk into his bar, had contacted Malik about the job she needed someone to take up. The details were sketchy. Some type of courier work, or perhaps an escort, but whatever it was the woman seemed in over her head. Carter said that she needed someone she could trust. That was why he called Malik. The lion had a reputation for following an honorable code, one that he didn't break.

The lion stood outside the bar and his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He waited for the door to close, and then pulled it out of his pocket to check the message and make sure it was the right one. The message was simple, 'Her'. Carter had singled her out so that Malik knew who he would be working with. Malik chose to be outside and linger for a while so he could see if she was followed. It was best for him to know about the person he was going to be working for, and it was necessary for him to gain as much knowledge about the trouble she was in before he allied himself with her. After watching from the shadows and taking note of everything e saw Malik made his way inside.

He was a tall light skinned man dressed in a hooded jacket, black pants, and sturdy steel toed boots. Not entirely uncommon for this city. His jacket was baggy enough to conceal any weapons that he was possibly hiding. For his line of work it was best to be well armed and well prepared for a number of situations. Brown eyes scanned the room as he crossed it to see if there was anyone either paying attention to the woman, or ignoring her entirely. Either would be enough to give away someone's intent towards her. Once he reached her he stood for a moment and then taken the empty seat next to her.

"My name is Malik, the one that Carter told you about. You're Solis. Now, tell me about this job of yours so we can determine payment." his voice was a calming rumble even if it was right down to business for them. Such matters were unavoidable so it was best to get them out of the way first. This was how he made his living after all. He looked about the bar and was satisfied that it was busy enough that the noise would keep their conversation from carrying beyond them. "And keep in mind.... It's better that you tell me the truth upfront even if you think I won't take the job. The odds are, I'll take it anyway and we'll be that much more likely to get out of this alive. I'm curious to know why you have someone following you."

The delicious aroma and flavor of her strong drink was certainly what she needed after such a long day, or rather, long week. Months and months of research at her day job, and still no conclusive findings. Her company dabbled in a little of this, and a little of that, but her division focused on gene splicing and pseudo-cyborg DNA. Ever since the weaving together of new DNA and magic to form the were-creatures that currently roam the world, companies have been looking for a way to remove the magic aspect without disrupting the connection. Trials so far had been, less than fortunate.

It was all very hush hush, and not even her closest friends really knew what she did. She wished she could talk to someone, anyone about it. Supposedly though if word got out a lot more people than just her labmates would be out of a job. In a way, the knowledge that she had was arguably more dangerous than her night job of delivering information.

As Solis sipped her drink, she saw a tall shadow approaching out of the corner of her eye. His appearance certainly matched the description, though there was something about him that immediately caused her to stiffen. A hard edge was the only explanation in how to describe his presence. He took a seat next to her, and Solis began mentally preparing himself in how to deal with him.

"My name is Malik, the one that Carter told you about. You're Solis. Now, tell me about this job of yours so we can determine payment. And keep in mind.... It's better that you tell me the truth upfront even if you think I won't take the job. The odds are, I'll take it anyway and we'll be that much more likely to get out of this alive. I'm curious to know why you have someone following you."

Everything that Solis had readied herself for, everything she knew in all of her past meetings, did not prepare her for his question. Typically the information was dropped, details secured, and package delivered. She'd be lucky if they said thank you to her. This though, what does he mean, someone following me?

"This project needs to be finished by June 15. Security perimeters need to be in place, and this is not a group assignment." Solis said, as she used her arm and side to casually slide the envelope from her purse into a viable grabbing position.

"You'll find the information outlined. I'm sorry, but I'm not really privy to anything else. And are you sure they are following just me, and not you as well? There's an exit through the back of the kitchen, if you'd like to take a stroll."

Doubtless her pepper spray would suffice in any sort of physical fight, but it was at least something more than just herself. Besides, if he was her connection, then he wouldn't put her in harms way, right?

" "

Malik looked across the short distance between them and studied every facet of her features. It was one of the ways that he had been trained to search for deception in others. She didn't seemed to be strained in the art of deceiving others, but the better the con artist was the less likely they seemed. "I know it's not me they followed. I've been here for three hours watching the place. They showed up with you. " There was a calm stillness in his voice that breathed confidence. This wasn't the first time he was in such a situation, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

It didn't matter who the tail belonged to now, because the tail was on them both. She had hired them and now they were in it together. He looked at the sealed packet she gave him and judged the shape and thickness. His money was in there too. The only way he could get his money was by taking the job info, and with it the obligation. He scooped up the sealed package and quietly grumbled, "Come on. I think a walk would be nice right about now." He stood up from the barstool and shifted his head, beckoning her to follow him.

He wove his way through the bar crowd towards the back wall where a lone door led into the building's kitchens. Being a bar, the kitchen wasn't very busy, and the food they cooked there was mostly low quality or fried. A few of the cook staff looked up at the sudden intrusion by people they didn't know. They quickly looked away when they saw Malik reaching into his coat. Beneath its coat were a number of weapons but the one he searched for was the 9mm in the shoulder holster. He drew the blackened steel weapon and dropped it to his side where it could be concealed by his body.

At the back of the kitchen, Malik turned the door handle and opened up the way out into the alley behind the building. Keen eyes pierced through the darkness as his head swing left and then right. Good, the coast was clear which meant they had a short window of opportunity before the tail realized they were missing. He took hold of her hand and led her down the back alleyway. He had scouted the area around the bar and knew that the path to his left lead him away behind the largest number of buildings. He grabbed her by the hand and lead her away down the alley. Together they ran past seven other buildings and stopped at the eighth.

"This is the one." he said and ran up to the door. When he turned the knob it opened readily and he closed it behind them. Quickly he locked it securely with the two deadbolts that were built into the door. "I picked the locks when I scouted the area three hours ago. It pays to plan ahead." They were inside a small apartment building that housed a dozen small apartments. It was enough to give them sanctuary for the moment. "They're gonna look for us when they realize we're gone, but first I want to know more about this job since I've already taken it."

He made his way to the front of the building where a small entry hall had a curtained window. The he could see out into the street and looked for anything going on outside the bar from the relative safety of the hallway's darkened interior. This is where he chose to crouch down and pulled out a small flashlight. Opening the package he took the money that was meant to be his payment, looked it over to get an idea of if it was all there, and stuffed it into his pocket. First order of business was now done, get paid up front, and he could get read through the documents inside. "While I'm reading... think back to everything you did today and yesterday. Did you encounter any strange people, or did you say anything you shouldn't have to someone? "